Coach O'Brien and the men's cross country squad will open up the 2012 season from the comforts of their own home on Saturday, September 8.

Patrick McGowan will look to lead a young men's cross country squad in his junior season.

Amherst, Mass. -
Last season the men graduated four of their athletes including their strongest runner, Sean Duncan. This year the team has a pool of returnees ready to carry the team with another year of experience under their belt and Coach O'Brien has brought in 13 newcomers to the program who are as ready for the collegiate level as any. The team is returning a solid competitor in Patrick McGowan (Mansfield, Mass.), who was a top five finisher for the team in six of his seven meets last year. McGowan's teammate, Antony Taylor (Arlington, Mass.) is also returning this year. Taylor finished top five for the Minutemen in all seven meets last season and broke the top 10 overall once in 2011 at the Minuteman Invite with a time of 22:54.79.

Tomorrow, the men will begin their season going toe-to-toe with the Maine Black Bears in a five mile race at the UMass Cross Country Course. The meet will start at 11:30 a.m. on the fields east of the Wysocki House, (section C1 on campus map) visitors may park in lot 44 to the northeast of the Furcolo building, (C1).